It is often desirable to be able to use a cordless control, for instance of the type used for remote control of televisions, for controlling electrically adjustable beds, electrically driven patient lifters, etc.
The controls are typically IR-based. There are many ways of encoding these IR-signals, which is why problems with confusion between functions hardly ever occur, even though there are many different types of products such as televisions and radios in private homes, which may also be controlled by IR.
If these controls are applied to beds, patient lifters, etc., in nursing homes, hospitals and the like, they would, unlike in private homes, often be used in surroundings with many similar units based on the same signal. This could result in the unfortunate consequence that for instance multiple beds are adjusted when a button on a random control is activated.